


St. Marthas

by waltraud



Category: Original Work, St. Marthas
Genre: Bleeding, Collapsing, Doctors, Fainting, Fever, Headaches, Hospitals, Injury, Physicians, Seizures, Sickfic, Sickness, Vomiting, critical illness, maybe some quite graphic descriptions (depending on my mood), medical content, other stuff I will think of in time, patient treatment, stomach flu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-05-13 02:24:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19241923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waltraud/pseuds/waltraud
Summary: “Hey Walt, you alright? You’re looking a little pale over there.”He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m fine. Just a little stomach cramp.”His senior did not look convinced. “You got much of your rounds left?”He shook his head. “Just finished my last room.”“Good. Have you eaten something this morning. Maybe you're just hungry.”The thought of food alone, made him shiver. He swallowed against some rising nausea.“No, and no I am definitely not hungry.”Here's some original work of mine.It's a little series I started concerning the young resident James Walters who did not long ago start to work at St. Marthas, a smal hospital in a not to big town. The job is quite tough on him and he more than once struggles to keep going, but he on his journey luckily is not alone.The short stories/chapters probably will not have to be read in order.





	1. Stomach flu

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it :D
> 
> Have a nice read.
> 
> Love Waltraud
> 
>  
> 
> PS.: Wenn jemand Interesse hat das ganze auf deutsch zu lesen, gebt mir Bescheid, dann fange ich an es zu übersetzen.

Stomach Flu

He stepped inside their office to see Lime already sitting at his desk.  
“Hi, little late today”, his colleague greeted him with a smile.  
“Very funny.”  
It had not been a good morning for him so far. The battery of his clock had died over night and it had only been his crazy cat jumping on his face, that had woken him up nearly in time. He took two minutes to drink some coffee, but he could not bring himself to eat some breakfast. He somehow felt a little off.  
Lime rose from his desk.  
“Well, hurry up, Walt. Boss will be mad if we turn up late again.”  
He nodded and followed his senior.  
The morning meeting seemed to last for ages. There had been a huge number of cases during the night.  
He scanned the list of his ward, trying to keep track of his new patients and why they came. He was not very good at it today and soon he just gave up, daydreaming.

He rubbed his stomach with one hand while he listened to the patient’s story, taking notes with his other hand. It was his last room. The strange feeling he had had in the morning had moved to a stomach ache during his rounds, growing with every minute.  
He ended his notes, made two new orders for the nurses and left the room. He was glad his rounds were over.  
Leaning against the wall of the corridor he took some deep breaths, trying to calm his stomach.  
Next to him a door opened. He tried to stand a little straighter, but Lime had already seen him.  
“Hey Walt, you alright? You’re looking a little pale over there.”  
He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m fine. Just a little stomach cramp.”  
His senior did not look convinced. “You got much of your rounds left?”  
He shook his head. “Just finished my last room.”  
“Good. Have you eaten something this morning. Maybe you're just hungry.”  
The thought of food alone, made him shiver. He swallowed against some rising nausea.  
“No, and no I am definitely not hungry.”  
“Hmm should I get you some Pantoprazole or something?”  
“That would be really nice.”  
“Okay, give me a second to finish my notes. I will meet you in the office.”  
He pushed away from the wall walking towards their office.

He sat in his chair, head on his desk, arms rapped around his abdomen, when five minutes later Lime arrived with two pills and a bottle of water.  
“Here, I also found some Buscopan for you.”  
He sat up from his crouched position taking the pills from him, swallowing them with a gulp of water.  
“Thanks.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
With that they turned towards their paperwork pooling on their desks.  
It was nearly half an hour later, when his stomach pains spiked to a new level. He groaned involuntarily, folding nearly in half, when a cramp hit him full force.  
Lime looked up from his work.  
“Are you going to die over there?”  
He slowly shook his head not daring to open his mouth, as excessive saliva started pooling in his mouth.  
Lime got up from his chair and stepped around his desk, kneeling in front of him.  
“Wow, you’re pale as a sheet. Do you need to lie down?”  
He shook his head again, swallowing convulsively.  
Lime had not been a doctor for over six years for nothing. He knew what was coming next. Hastily he rushed to grab the bin from underneath his desk, putting it on the floor between his feet.  
His gaze landed on some tissues and a banana skin resting inside the plastic linen. The sweet smell of half rotten bananas hit his nose and he gagged against his will. Clamping his mouth shut he swallowed against the rising nausea.  
“It’s alright”, Lime said. His long fingers started rubbing slow circles along his back. “You will feel better afterwards. Just let it out.”  
A retch forced itself up in his throat shaking his entire body, but not bringing anything up.  
“That’s it”, Lime’s calm voice told him. “Let your body get rid of it.”  
He closed his eyes. He always had hated to throw up. And being with someone else did not make it more enjoyable for him, but he knew Lime was right. They were doctors for god’s sake. They had both seen worse than someone puking up their guts.  
When the next retch came, he did not try to force it down, instead giving in to the feeling, contracting his abdominal muscles to help his stomach’s efforts. He could taste parts of last night’s dinner at the back of his throat and it was enough to force another, stronger retch from him, this time bringing up a mouth full of clear liquid witch left a foul taste in his mouth.  
He retched again, this time voluntarily, putting more force behind it, first bringing up a wet sounding burp, interrupted by some more solid, half digested food and liquid pouring out of his mouth, hitting the bin with a sickening splash. A shiver run over his body before another retch brought on the next wave of puke. He took in swallow breaths. And nearly choked. Lime clapped his back, as he coughed up more of his dinner. “Easy there. No need to aspirate.”  
He flipped him the finger while he tried to suck in more oxygen.  
The stench of his puke filling up the small office by now.  
He coughed again. His face turning a little red, his back muscles curling, when the next gag shook his frame.  
“Shh. You’re alright. Take a calm breath.”  
By now he was nearly glad he was not alone. He had broken out in cold sweat, shivering non stop.

A knock on the door made him jump in his seat. The sudden movement leaving him a little dizzy.  
Before he or Lime could say another word the door was opened.  
“Hi there, we were looking for Mrs. Hutsons file. Do you know …”, the nurse, Lina, stopped mid question taking in the scene in front of her. “Oh wow. Are you alright James?”  
He cleared his throat. Lina was one of the few people calling him by his given name.  
“Have been better.”  
“Ehm, do you need anything?”  
He could not answer her, as his body chose this moment to force the next retch up his oesophagus, this time only bringing some bile and stomach acid up, burning his throat and tongue. Spots were dancing in front of his eyes, when finally he dared to lift his head from the bin.  
“Need me to get rid of that bin?”, Lina asked.  
He shook his head. “Better not leave me without it.”  
“Maybe you could bring us some of these barf bags first”, Lime suggested.  
The nurse nodded and left the room.  
He leaned back in his chair a little, feeling totally exhausted. His stomach did not hurt as much as before, but he felt far from safe to move from his position.  
“Feeling better?” Lime asked.  
He made a vague gesture with his hand.  
The door opened again and Lina stepped inside, handing him a small plastic bag held open by a stiff ring.. He nodded his head in thanks when he took it from her and she leant down to take away the bin between his feet.  
Lime went to open up a window. The fresh air felt wonderful.  
Lina came back a few minutes later, handing Lime a now clean bin. He put it back underneath his desk.  
“Do you need anything else?”  
He shrugged his shoulders. His eyes still closed.  
“Maybe there is a place for him to lie down a little”, Lime said.  
“Room twenty-three is empty.”

“Good idea. You heard that Walt. Room twenty-three is waiting for you.”  
He opened one eye giving Lime a strange look.  
“That’s the room where we put the dying people”, he said.  
Lime shrugged his shoulders. “Well, but there is a very comfortable couch inside for you to rest.”  
“Hmm.”  
“Come on Walt. You can not really sleep in your chair. And I will not drive you home in the state you are in.”  
“Hmm, well alright.”  
He moved to get up from his chair, making it to his feet after the second try.  
The world tilted around him as soon as he stood upright. He closed his eyes, reaching for the table in front of him as his knees buckled. A strong hand closed around his biceps, stabilizing him.  
“Shit, Walt. Don’t scare me like that.”  
“S’rry didn’t see that com’ng”, he slurred.  
“You think you will make it across the corridor?”  
“Not so sure right know”, he said, blinking repeatedly.  
“Okay. Lina could you take his other side?”  
The nurse stepped around him, taking his left arm pulling it over her shoulder, hugging him around his waist. Lime took his right side.  
“Okay, Walt, we only need to make a few meters. Tell us if you need to stop. Alright?”  
He nodded and the three of them began their strange journey.

It really only were a few meters to reach their destination, but the few steps were enough for him. Cold sweat collected on his face. The movement made him more and more dizzy. He again closed his eyes and tried to take some calming deep breaths.  
“You’re not going to pass out on us, are you?”, Lime asked.  
“N’t yet.”  
“Good, were nearly there. Just keep going, one step after another.  
They stopped, and Lina beside him shifted a little in her position when she opened a door, but did not let go of him.  
With not much grace they stumbled inside and he was glad, when finally he was lowered to the couch awaiting him. He sat there for a few seconds, his elbows on his knees, his head held in his hands, before slowly he lowered himself to his right side. Lina was nice enough to untie his sneakers.  
Lying down took away the edge in his dizziness, but being horizontal did not do any good to his stomach. He could feel the nausea rise again and struggled to sit up halfway, bringing the plastic bag into position as the sickening feeling rolled over him.  
His stomach was empty by now, but his body seemed to have not read the memo about it, leaving him choking and dry heaving until his eyes streamed with tears.  
The couch underneath him dipped a little when Lime sat down beside him. The older man laid an arm around his shoulders, holding him tight, mumbling comforting and calming words.  
Finally it ended and Lime loosened his grip on him.  
“Want to lie down again?”  
He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea just now. I will just sit here another minute.”  
With the back of his hand Lime touched his neck. “Hmm, you’re feeling a little warm. You think you got a fever?”  
He felt his own forehead, frowning. “I’m not sure.”  
Lime was in full doctor’s mode by now. “Do you feel any pain?”  
“Only my stomach, but it’s a little better by now… but now my head hurts.”  
“Did you eat anything unusual?”  
“Not that I knew about it. And please don’t talk about food just now.”  
“Hmm, any pain in your lower abdomen?”  
“I don’t think it’s appendicitis Lime. I am also a doctor, in case you forgot. It’s probably just some kind of stomach bug I caught.” He rubbed his temples. “Shit, I think I am already dehydrated. Could you get me something to drink?”  
“Sure, but I actually doubt it will stay down if I look at you. How about I put an IV-access in your arm and Lina gets us some Jono and a short infusion of Vomex?”  
“Sounds good to me.” He leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes, while he waited for his friends to get everything running.  
He felt the little sting in his left arm, when Lime inserted the needle, but he did not even flinch. By the time the anti-emetic had been administered, he had nearly fallen asleep in his sitting position.  
“Come on, Walt. You will only hurt your neck sleeping like that”, Lime told him and coaxed him into lying down.  
“I will take you home later. Your phone is right behind you on the table. Call, if you need anything.”  
He nodded.  
“You think you will be okay if we leave you alone?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good. Get well soon.”  
He heard their steps getting more quiet, when they left the room.  
Only seconds later he was fast asleep.


	2. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _On second thought it should not have been a big surprise to him.  
>  You would actually think, six years at university and one year working as a doctor would have taught him enough to know it was not his best idea to come to work that day._

On second thought it should not have been a big surprise to him.  
You would actually think, six years at university and one year working as a doctor would have taught him enough to know it was not his best idea to come to work that day.

 

They were lacking manpower, with two colleagues at maternity leave, four more on vacation and another one trying to improve his ultrasound skills far away in Berlin.   
So when he woke with a slight headache and the feeling that his body temperature was not exactly within normal range, he decided to go to work anyway. It was Friday already and he would have the whole weekend to rest from there.  
An ibuprofen, a quick shower and some coffee and soon he was sitting on his bike, cycling through morning traffic. It was twenty past seven, when he passed the apothecary with the thermostat above its sign.   
_21°C._  
It had not cooled down as much as he would have liked during the night, so probably today would be one of these too hot summer days. He nearly felt envious towards his colleagues working at the emergency room this month. Of course their job was more stress full, but at least the rooms there were air conditioned. 

He had thirty minutes left to prepare his day, before he had to go to the morning meeting.   
Inside his office, the air felt thick enough to be cut. He opened the windows, enjoying the cooler air filling his lungs.

 

The meeting lasted a little longer than usual, but finally it ended and he was able to start his rounds. He made a good pace, with no emergencies during the night and not to many complicated cases.  
He handed his charts to one of the nurses, crabbed another coffee and left for his office to do some paperwork.   
Lime followed him about fifteen minutes later.   
They sat in silence, completing files medicine controlling was waiting for.  
He had finished three files, before his temples started hurting again. He leaned back a little, rubbing at his temples and took a sip of his coffee. It was cold by now, but that did not bother him.   
Around twelve o’clock Lime put away the last file from his desk and rose from his chair, stretching his arms and back.  
“Time for lunch, I’d say”, he said, waiting for him to come along.  
“I will just finish this and crap something later. I’m not really hungry yet.”  
“Okay. See you later.”  
“Bye.”

He even tried to do some more of his work, but his headache seemed to grow with every minute. He was hot and cold at the same moment. He felt his one forehead, but was not sure, if he was running a fever.   
His search for some more ibuprofen inside their office was not successfull, he only found an empty blister. So he left the office and went for the nurses’ station..

 

“Are you looking for something?”  
He nearly jumped when one of the nurses stepped beside him as he rampaged through the cupboards. She had not been there, when he came in.   
“Fuck, Linda, don’t scare me like that.” He rubbed his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.  
“A little jumpy, aren’t we? What were you looking for? You should know, the good stuff is not in here”, she joked.  
“Ha ha, very funny. Actually I just need some ibu, but I still don’t get how you sort this stuff.” There was a tickle in his throat and he turned away to cough in the crook of his arm.  
“That doesn’t sound too healthy, James.”   
He shrugged his shoulders and she opened a door to his left taking a package from one of its upper shelves.   
“Here you go.”  
“Thank you.” It came out a little rough.   
He took out one of the blisters, storing the rest again on the shelf.   
He could feel Linda’s eyes on him, as he swallowed one of the pills.  
“You know, we have tea and water just around the corner. I would even have brought you some, if you would have asked me.”  
“That’s nice of you, thank you.”  
He involuntarily rubbed his arms when a shiver ran through him.  
Linda rose he left eye-brow. “Are you..”  
Her question was interrupted by an emergency call from one of the patient rooms. She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know when the technicians will finally have repaired that damn bell”, but nevertheless went to take a look.   
He stayed, waiting for the signal to stop, but the signal coming from room 207 was not cut off.   
_Shit._ Patient in recovery position. Airways free.  
Breathing: not steady but there, a little wet.  
Recap: to slow. 

“I need some Jono, Linda! At least he still has an iv-access.”

“Shit, I think he just stopped breathing.”  
“What?! No, no no. Turn him around. _1,2,3,4..._ Get out the Ambu... _7,8,9,10_. Where is that fucking rescue team, we need more hands in here. …. _17,18,19,20_ …alright, we can do this. Give me that Ambu bag and get me some epinephrine….28,29,30.”   
_Two ventilations. Another cycle of CPR._  
“I have the epinephrine ready.”  
“Okay, administer it, then get me another iv-access and another infusion”... _20,21,22_ …   
Sweat was dropping in his eyes, but there was no time to brush it way.   
… _two more ventilations_ …   
“Call Lime or anyone you may reach.”  
He heard her speaking on the phone, as he tried to concentrate on the situation.  
 _Infusion, epinephrine … fuck, fuck,fuck._  
“Linda! Get me the intubation kit!”  
... _20,21_...  
“Ready.”  
… _25,26_...  
“Okay, we need to switch. 28,29,30.”  
She took over his position.  
He had not intubated often before.   
Opening the patient’s mouth, inserting the laryngoscope he searched for the epiglottis. There was blood everywhere, blocking his sight, but finally he found the right spot.  
“Linda, stop!”  
He inserted the tube and blocked its balloon, connected the Ambu.   
Linda checked the position with a stethoscope as he gave two more ventilations.  
Nodding she started the CPR again, while he secured the tube, so it would not get dislocated.

Just when he wanted to announce another switch, foot steps could be heard and finally the rescue team was there, with Lime only steps behind them and a nurse in training, carrying a box with blood preservations.   
He stayed in his position as they took over, following the team leader's instructions, as they prepared the defibrillator, only letting go, when they decided to give the first shock, followed by the next CPR circle.  
“...28,29,30…”  
 _Rhythm control. Sinus rhythm. Pulse control._  
“Well done, ladies and gentlemen. We have a return of circulation. Let’s get him back in bed, so we can bring him upstairs for intervention.”

 

He helped them towards the elevator, then stayed behind, as the doors closed.

“Wow. That was intense”, Lime said beside him.  
“Mhm.”  
“Congratulations, that was only your third intubation, wasn’t it?”  
There was some ringing in his ears, as his adrenaline levels crashed. He rubbed against them, but the ringing only grew louder, as his vision started tunnelling.  
“I need t’ sit down.”  
“Yeah, I know how ...WOW! What the hell!”  
Lime just barely managed to get a hold of him, as his knees buckled, stopping him from hitting the floor undamped, helping him down.

He was sitting with his back against the wall next to the elevator, his head on his knees, trying to get a hold of himself. Even in his sitting position he still felt faint.   
Lime kneeled down beside him.  
“Next time you could be a little more clear, when you’re trying to tell me your going to pass out.”  
It should have been a joke, but just now he could not find any fun in it. His head hurt, his brain seemed to be made of jelly, he felt hot and cold, a patient in his care nearly had died, the fucking rescue team had taken its time and there was still blood everywhere along his arms and cloths.   
He tried his best to suppress the sobs as tears started running down his face, but was not very successful.  
“Hey, hey. Not need to cry. You did really well.” Lime’s hand landed on his dark curls, stroking down to rest on his shoulders. “Take a few deep breaths and then we will go and...” He stopped mid sentence, touching his neck left and right. “Fuck, I think you’re running a fever. Are you alright?”  
He nodded, then shrugged and finally shook his head.   
More tears streamed down his face and a sob forced itself from his throat. Lime laid an arm around his shoulder.  
Visitors and patients were walking by, eyeing them suspiciously, as they sat side by side. Finally a nurse stopped.  
“Do you need some help? Is he hurt?”  
“No, just sick I guess. Maybe you could find me a wheelchair so we can get him out of public view.”  
“Of course.” She changed directions and soon was back with the chair.  
Together they helped him to sit down.   
“Thanks, I think I have it from here.”  
“No problem. Get him to take some rest. Bye, bye. Hope you feel better soon, Walt.”

 

On every other day he would have been embarrassed to be pushed along the corridors in a wheelchair, but he was out of it enough today, to barely realize it.   
Lime brought him to the nurse’s station, pushing him to the back and into the rec room.  
Linda and two other nurses jumped from their seats, as they stepped inside.   
“James! What happened?”  
“He fainted on me in the corridor. I think he’s running a fever. Could anyone get me a thermometer.” 

“Here you go”, said Ella before she pushed the gadget inside his left ear.  
“41,3 °C”, she announced when it beeped.  
“You’re not doing anything by half, do you?”, Lime said.  
He again only shrugged. It did not madder to him anymore. His head pounded and he only wished to lay down anywhere to get some rest.  
“Joe, could you bring me some ibuprofen?”, Lime asked.  
“Six hundred or eight hundred?”  
“Eight.”  
That rose him a little from his daze.   
“Already took some.”  
“In the morning?”  
“No, he came to get some, mere seconds before the emergency occurred.”  
“So that would be about an hour ago. Should actually have kicked in by then. How much did you drink today, Walt?”  
He thought about it. The events of the day a little fuzzy.  
“Two cups of coffee I think, ma’be three.”  
“You know you doctors are pretty stupid sometimes, don’t you?”, Linda declared.   
“Okay, change of plan then”, Lime said, ignoring her statement. “I need an iv-kit, five hundred millilitre of Jono, a bottle of water, a glass and one gram of paracetamol.”  
“Per os or as short infusion.”  
“Per os should just do fine.”   
Lime picked out his phone, while the nurses went to get everything. He held it between his shoulder and ear, while he searched for a good vein. “Hi Ted, just wanted to tell you I need someone to cover me for an hour and someone for Walt for the rest of the day, while I take him home. ... No, no emergency, but he’s running a nice fever, probably the flu or something similarly nasty. … Okay. We wait for the meds to kick in, then we leave. I will switch my phone to yours, as soon as we leave and call you as soon as I’m back again. …. Yeah, I will tell him. Thanks for your help. … Bye.”  
While he had spoken, he had managed to insert the iv-access and attached it with a patch. Linda gave him the iv-line and he connected it, starting the infusion.   
“Ted wants me to tell you to get better soon”, Lime said. He turned towards the nurses. “I will just run and finish a few things before I take him home. Can you have an eye on him for me?”  
They nodded and he left for the office. 

 

He took the Benuron they gave him. Then they left to take care of their work, coming back now and then to make sure he was alright. He drifted in and out of sleep, resting his head on his arms on the table in front of him.

“Walt?” Someone gently shook his shoulder. “Walt, I need to take your temperature again.”  
He lifted his head allowing Ella to reach his ear.   
“38,7. Not great, but at least a little better.”  
“Good enough for me”, Lime said. “I will take him home. Ted is in charge while we are gone. You may call him anytime.”  
Ella disconnected him from the iv and pulled out the access, glueing a swab over the little hole it had left, so no blood would ooze from it.  
“Ready to go?”, Lime asked. “Here, take your bag. I’m not sure if I found everything, but at least you’re mobile phone, your wallet and your keys are inside.”  
He tried to get up, but Lime pushed him back down. “You stay seated. I will drive you to my car. I do not wish for you to split your head on the pavement outside.”  
He felt his ears turning red. “Thanks.”  
“No need for that. Just promise me you will be taking better care of yourself in the future.”

 

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that's the second chapter of this story.   
> I hope you had a nice read :P
> 
>  
> 
> See you soon.
> 
> Love Waltraud


End file.
